“Did you say toot fart?”
Yes. Yes, he did. And before you cringe, know this: it lands. Somehow, impossibly—it lands.
Warner Bros has officially dropped the trailer for their new animated The Cat in the Hat film, slated to hit theaters on February 27, 2026, and if you’re expecting a sweet little Seussian tale wrapped in nostalgia and safety scissors, well—prepare to be sideswiped. This version doesn’t just tiptoe into mischief. It dives in headfirst, hat and all.
Animated in a way that feels like a sugar rush collided with a graphic novel, this new take sees Bill Hader voicing the Cat—part trickster god, part burnout theater kid, part manic middle manager at an imaginary startup called I.I.I.I. (that’s the Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration, LLC). Yes, that’s a mouthful. Yes, the movie leans into it.
The story follows Gabby and Sebastian, two kids mid-uprooting, whose suburban ennui is shattered by the Cat’s explosive arrival. His mission? Cheer them up—or risk losing his magical hat. Stakes, people. Hat stakes.
Directed by Alessandro Carloni (Kung Fu Panda 3) and Erica Rivinoja (Trolls, The Addams Family, Clone High), and co-written by the duo as well, this version doesn’t just reheat the 1957 classic—it remixes it with neon attitude, Looney Tunes DNA, and a bizarre earnestness that somehow sticks the landing. Think Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs meets Wes Anderson on cold brew. It shouldn’t work. And yet…
Let’s talk voice cast, because it’s stacked like a holiday buffet: Xochitl Gomez, Matt Berry, Quinta Brunson, Paula Pell, Tiago Martinez, Giancarlo Esposito, America Ferrera, Bowen Yang, and Tituss Burgess round out the crew. It’s chaotic, but controlled—like a clown car piloted by Pixar alumni on a dare.
Hader, though? He’s the glue. His Cat isn’t just mischievous. He’s teetering—on the edge of charm and unhinged impulse. There’s a line between glee and madness, and Hader skates it like it’s a frozen lake in hell. It’s… exhilarating.
And look, the 2003 Mike Myers version? Let’s just say it tried. It really tried. But this one, in animated form, finally feels like the format Seuss’s mind was always chasing. The rhythm, the color, the nonsense logic—it belongs here.
There’s a moment in the trailer—blink and you’ll miss it—where the Cat lifts a floor tile and reveals a tiny musical trapped beneath. It sings for three seconds, then gets crushed by a falling piano. No explanation. No follow-up. Just boom—joyful absurdity. That’s the kind of energy this film promises: surreal, snappy, and a little dangerous. In a good way.
Could it flop? Sure. Every kid’s movie that leans too hard on irony or edge runs the risk. But here’s the thing—this doesn’t feel cynical. It feels oddly… hopeful. Like someone believed in this madness. And maybe that’s what Dr. Seuss would’ve wanted in 2026: a little chaos, a lot of color, and just enough weird to wake kids (and adults) up.
February’s not that far away.
Are we ready for this Cat?
